Lever and wrench operated closing tool for metal containers having a split ring locking clamp



y 29, 1951 J. J. KOJAN ET AL 2,555,194

LEVER AND WRENCH OPERATED CLOSING TOOL FOR METAL CONTAINERS HAVING A SPLIT RING LOCKING CLAMP Filed April 3, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3 INVENTOR. Joy/v J/(am/v BY [k0 A. WITUCKY H TTORNE s M y 1951 J. J. KOJAN ET AL 2,555,

LEVER AND WRENCH OPERATED CLOSING TQOL FOR METAL CONTAINERS HAVING A SPLIT RING LOCKING CLAMP Filed April 3, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill mm INVENTORS Jbmv .Z' A/UJHN BY [50 W/ruc/(Y Arroe/VEXS Patented May 29, 1951 EPAThT ()FFICE John .J- K li n.

Bedford, and Leo A. Witucky, Cleveland, Ohio Application April a, 1947, Serial No. 739,191

' whims. (01. 7-1) This invention relates to improvements in close ing tools for metal containers, that is: to: say sheet metal containers of cylindrical form hav ing an open end, a lid for closing that end and a eon-tractible ring clam-p for locking the lid in closed position. As an aid to the contraction of such aclamp and the drawing of its ends to-. gether into a position such that a threaded fas tening may be employed to lock those ends together, it is common in the art to employ aclos ing tool which comprises a split ring that may be caused to surround the clamping ringterm porarily and has a lever and link mechanism for conveniently and quickly contracting the clamp ring; Thereafter the operator inserts a bolt through a loop carried: on one end of the clamping ring and threads it into a nut on the opposite end of the ring, using a wrench or a screwdriver for manipulating the bolt and in some cases an additional wrench for manipulating the nut. any event the use of at least one separate hand tool is required.

The present invention. is designed: for use with a ring clamp in which the nut is rigid with. one end of thering. Itembodies-aclosing; tool which is complete in itself, that is it carries a wrench permanently so that when the link and lever mechanism of the tool has been operated to draw the-ends of; the clampingring together the wrench is substantially in position to perform its duty, thus facilitating the closing of the container and conserving the time of the operator.

An object ofthe' invention therefore is to provide an improved toolwhich may be operated conveniently and rapidly to effect the closing of a container of the kind described;

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as we proceed with the description of that embodiment of the invention which, for the purposes of the present application, we have illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan View of a metal drum in the process of being closed and sealed.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental elevational view of the same.

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmental sectional views taken substantially on the lines 33 and 4-4 of Fig, 1,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view on a larger scale, and

Fig. 6 is an elevational view corresponding to Fig. 2 but on a larger scale.

In the drawing It represents a sheet metal drum which is open at one end and provided with a rolled edge forming a bead II, as is common in 2. containers of this character. A lid [2 projects into the open end of the container. It has a curved rim 13 within the concavity of which there is mounted a soft rubber gasket l4 that engages the top of the bead II, as clearly shown inFigs. 3 and 4.

[5. is a clamping ring, which may be in One piece. with a split indicated. at; IS in Figs-1 and 2; The. ring is approximately semicircular in crossesection and embraces the bead ll andthe flange l3, and thus. when contracted exerts force compressing the gasket [4 and sealing the contamer. An arcuate lug. or bracket. li is, welded to one end of the ring and a similar lug or bracket is. to. the other end thereof. The lower enclof lug. i1! is rolled. into a loop l9 which receives loosely the shank of a. bolt 25], the head Z-l of which bearsv against the edge of this loop t8. may be rolled to provide a similar loop.-,2:2 which may be internally threaded to take the threaded shank. oi": the. bolt or may have a nut fixedly mounted. therein, as in our application Serial: No. 739.192 filed: of evendate herewith; now Patent Number 2,486,565- When the ring I5 is contracted. and the bolt. 20. is threadedup tightly the ring is clamped upon the. container and a firm tight joint; results.

The closing tool for this clamping. ring: also embodies: a split ring illustrated at 3.0;. which may be of channel shape in. cross section. and may haveseveral' ears 3 l'- welded thereto to assist in. supporting the tool upon ring: I 51 while: the tool is being put in place. The tool is so: disposed angulavly that its split: is centcredwitht. respect to the split of theriing. Eairs=of lugs; 32 and 33 arewelded; to; the. flanges of: the channel. near the ends thereof. A pin 34 is projected through aligned holes in the two lugs 32, and between those lugs it serves as the fulcrum for a bifurcated lever 35. A continuation of this lever forms a long handle 35 which is preferably disposed at an angle to the lever proper, as indicated in Fig. 1.

A wobble block 3'! has trunnions 38 which turn in aligned holes in the two lugs 33. This block is provided with a transverse bore which is threaded to receive a threaded rod 39. The inner end of the latter is welded to one end of a curved metal strap 48, the opposite end of which is mounted on a pivot 4| that extends through aligned holes in the bifurcations of lever 35 intermediate the ends of those bifurcations. Parts 3% and 40 together constitute a link which cooperates with the lever 35 to open or close the tool. As will be obvious the length of the link may be adjusted by removing the pin 4i and turning the link one way or the other in the block 31. Before the closing tool is put in position the lever 35 is of course swung counterclockwise on the pin 34 as a fulcrum, thereby expanding the tool ring. When the lever has been swung back to the illustrated position the clamping ring is contracted sufficiently to enable the operator to insert bolt 20 through the loop i9 and into the threaded loop 22.

At the bend between the lever 35 and the handle 36 there is mounted a swivel 45 which carries an eye 49 on its lower end. The round shank 41 of a wrench is rotatably mounted in eye 55. It carries a socket 48 provided with a hole to fit the head 2! of the bolt, and near its opposite end it has an offset part 49 constituting a handle which provides leverage for rotation of the shank 37. 7

In some cases the bolt 20 may have a head provided with a screwdriver slot, in which case of course the end of shank 41 will be finished as a screwdriver. Intermediate the ends of the handle 96 there is mounted a clip 50 terminating in a hook that is adapted to receive and retain the shank 47 near its offset 49.

When the tool has been put in position on the container and the link and lever mechanism operated to bring the ends of the clamp together and the bolt 20 has been started by hand, as previously explained, the operator unhooks the wrench from the clip 50 and swings it around on the swivel 45 to the dotted line position of Fig. 1, which brings it into line with the bolt. It is then the work of a moment only to advance the wrench until the socket 4B fits over the head of the bolt, whereupon the operator supporting the freen end of the wrench in one hand and grasping the offset 49 in the other can quickly rotate the wrench to thread the bolt into the threaded loop 22 far enough to pull the clamp up tight. The operator then retracts the wrench, swings it around into line with the handle 36 and hooks it into the clip 59, whereupon it becomes in effect a part of the handle and presents no obstacle to the manipulation of the tool, but is always ready for immediate use when needed. The bend between the lever 35 and the handle 36 positions the handle close to the container when the tool is in closed position. Thus, when the wrench is swung around to operative position there is an angle of 45 or more between it and handle 36, and the operator can turn the wrench with complete freedom from interference with the handle.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A closin tool for a cylindrical sheet metal container of the type which has an open end, a

lid therefor and a split ring clamp for locking the lid to the container, and wherein the ends of the clamp are detachably joined by a bolt rotatably mounted in one end of the split ring clamp and an internally threaded element is mounted in and held against rotation by the other end of the split ring clamp, said tool comprising a split ring adapted to embrace said clamp and comprising also a link and lever mechanism connected with the ends of said split ring for drawing said ends together, a swivel mounting for a wrench carried by the lever part of said mechanism, and a wrench slidable as well as rotatable in said swivel mounting and having an end socket adapted to be removably applied to the head of said bolt for turning the latter in said internally threaded element.

2. A closing tool for a cylindrical sheet metal container of the type which has an open end, a lid therefor and a split ring clamp for lockin the lid to the container, and wherein the ends of the clamp are detachably joined by two threaded members one of which is mounted at one end of the ring and held against rotation and the other of which is mounted in the remaining end of the ring and turnable therein, said tool comprising a split ring adapted to embrace said clamp and comprising also a link and lever mechanism connected with the ends of said split ring for drawing said ends together, a swivel mounting carried by the lever part of said mechanism, and a manually rotatable member slidable as well as rotatable in said swivel mounting, said rotatable member having means at one end adapted to be removably connected to the turnable threaded member for accomplishin relative rotation of said two threaded members.

JOHN J. KOJAN. LEO A. WITUCKY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 633,780 Burgher Sept. 26, 1899 937,636 Niemann Oct. 19, 1909 1,148,472 Adams July 27, 1915 1,226,911 Riesenberg May 22, 1917 1,357,870 Hume Nov. 2, 1920 1,598,561 Coomer Aug. 31, 1926 1,889,152 Phillips Nov. 29, 1932 2,155,705 Gottweld Apr. 25, 1939 2,257,454 Brouhon Sept. 30, 1941 

